Economy
Multiple Taxes Don’t Exit in Nigeria—LIRS Director
The Sun
A director at the Lagos Inland Revenue Service (LIRS), Mrs Shade Coker, has declared that there are no cases of multiple taxation in the nation contrary to the widely spread believe, alleging that people use the advantage of lack of information to spread the misinformation.
Mrs Coker who stated this during the official launch of Tax pal Nigeria, a platform that makes tax solution easy stated that taxation is Nigeria seems cumbersome due to inadequate information about system of taxation in the country.
She said that tax Taxpal is that friendly tax café that serves taxable Nigerians and Nigerian residents with spot on tax information required to help them fulfil their end of the social contract – pay their taxes.
She said the law requires records to document all of tax deductions, urging Nigerians to demand payment details and report any agency they feel their transaction is not transparent in order to remove the challenge of the multiple taxation they experience.
On complaints of multiple taxation, Mrs Coker said “Let me say once again that we do not really have a situation of multiple taxation. You only have multiple taxation when you pay the same tax to different tiers of government.
“What we have found out is that a lot of people categorise any payment to government as a tax. “For example if you receive fine, a penalty they call it a tax. If you pay for the parking space, they call it a tax. Those are the things you refer to as user charges and not taxes.”
Also, she identified taxation of electronic related businesses as one of the greatest challenges confronting the payment of tax in Nigeria.
Tax problem increase because this online transaction and businesses are difficult at the moment for one to capture, so their payment becomes really difficult to track.
However, she said the Federal Government has through the ministry of information and also through the office of the Vice President have been talking about the different projects that have been financed with tax revenues and I think as Nigerians begin to see those dividends of democracy, very good spending, people will be more encouraged to pay more taxes.”
In the same vein, the Chief Operating Officer of the Firm, Mr Jide Banjo said the government has the responsibility of being transparent and efficient with how the taxes are spent. Tax apathy and evasion can be reduced where there is high level of transparency and visible development.
Mr Banjo stressed the importance of taxation in any economy, which cannot be overemphasized, noting its effects remain significant.
“It helps greatly in the redistribution of income and gives the government funds that it can use to finance public services such as provision of adequate national security, public infrastructure, social security services, power, roads network and a host of other social amenities.
“The ability of the state or in broader view, a nation to generate a substantial amount of revenue from taxes opens up opportunities for it to provide public services and improve the economy.
He said at a recent tax stakeholder forum organized by PwC, a survey was conducted to find out why many Nigerians do not pay tax.
The result was insightful but not surprising; 70% said it is because people cannot see taxpayers’ money at work, 22.5% said it was due to the tax rules that are unclear and compliance process being too complex while 7.5% said it is due to poor enforcement by tax authorities.
More so, Mr Banjo stated that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently released tax collection data of all 36 states of the federation, which totalled N683.6 billion out of which Lagos state accounted for N268 bn.
Uniquely, Lagosians amongst many other states can see infrastructural advancement as dividends of their tax remittance.
“We believe that this development is only a tip of the iceberg when over 50% taxable residents pay their taxes instead of the 10million footing the bills of 77million as earlier mentioned. He citing the Vice Presidents Yemi Osinbajo statement while he was speaking at the 20th annual tax conference of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) held in May this year, Osinbajo said, “as of May 2017, only 14 million economically-active Nigerians paid taxes. That number is now in excess of 19 million, and still growing,” That is good news for us at Taxpal. We are charged to help increase that number exponentially he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Vert, a global cross-border payments platform, has announced a new solution under Verto Business Accounts that enables US-registered businesses to move money seamlessly between the United States and Africa.
With the ability to open a US Dollar account in their business name and have access to trusted emerging market payment rails, companies can now receive, hold, and transfer funds faster, more cost-effectively, and with greater control.
US-registered businesses with operations in Africa often encounter significant banking limitations, with US banks frequently delaying or blocking transactions to or from African markets, imposing high or hidden FX costs, and offering limited access to Emerging Market payment corridors. Businesses without a US bank account registered in their own name must rely on fragmented tools or intermediaries to move funds to Africa, creating operational inefficiencies and slowing growth.
Verto’s new solution directly addresses these challenges by giving US-domiciled businesses access to named USD accounts and a robust cross-border payment infrastructure, enabling them to move funds and settle transactions in local currencies with speed and efficiency.
Built for venture-backed startups, import-export SMEs, and investors funding emerging market innovation, this solution will enable clients to receive funds directly into a named USD business account from US based customers or investors, convert and settle between USD and local currencies such as NGN and KES quickly and at lower cost, as well as hold, receive, and pay in 48 currencies from a single dashboard.
The solution will also allow users to pay contractors, suppliers, and offshore teams instantly via local payment rails. It also equips teams with virtual cards to spend in 11 currencies without fees and leverage specialised onboarding and monitoring that navigates both US and African regulatory requirements
By combining US and African compliance expertise, Verto’s Business Accounts empowers companies to maintain a US domestic presence for investors, customers, and suppliers while using deep-liquidity rails to pay global contractors and settle trades in local currencies efficiently, ensuring uninterrupted trade, payroll, and investment flows, without the risk of blocked or delayed transactions.
“We believe founders building across borders should not be constrained by the limitations of traditional banking,” said Ola Oyetayo, CEO of Verto. “Providing named accounts in the US empowers businesses with the funds they need to operate globally, connecting the US and Africa more efficiently without friction.”
With over 8 years of experience and $25 billion in annual global cross-border transaction volume, Verto continues to provide the infrastructure, expertise, and trusted payment rails businesses need to operate confidently across borders and scale globally.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has directed Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to suspend the introduction of new policies and regulatory changes to prevent disruptions to businesses.
The directive was issued in a statement by PEBEC director-general, Mrs Zahrah Mustapha-Audu, on Monday in Abuja, noting that the move is part of the Federal Government’s broader effort to improve regulatory quality, ensure policy consistency, and strengthen Nigeria’s ease of doing business environment.
The council emphasised that the suspension will remain in place until all MDAs fully comply with the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) Framework, which governs evidence-based policymaking across government institutions.
The council said the directive is aimed at ensuring that all government policies are backed by verifiable data and do not negatively impact businesses or investors.
“It is imperative to emphasise that no new reform or policy will be permitted to proceed without being grounded in clear, verifiable evidence,” said Mrs Mustapha-Audu.
“The framework provides the structured mechanism through which such evidence-based decisions can be rigorously developed, assessed, and validated.
“This directive is necessary to prevent policy shocks that may adversely affect businesses, investors, and citizens, as well as to eliminate policy inconsistencies and frequent reversals.”
She added that the government remains committed to working collaboratively with regulators and does not intend to embarrass any institution.
The Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) Framework, introduced in January 2025, is designed to improve transparency and ensure that policies undergo proper evaluation before implementation.
All MDAs are required to align new policies and amendments with the RIA framework before approval and rollout.
The framework has been circulated by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and is available on the PEBEC website.
MDAs are encouraged to seek technical support from the PEBEC Secretariat to ensure proper implementation.
Exceptions to the directive will only be granted in cases of urgent national interest, subject to appropriate approvals.
PEBEC noted that the framework will help institutionalise evidence-based policymaking, enhance transparency, and improve stakeholder confidence in government decisions.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Subscription for the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) savings bonds for April 2026 has opened, a circular from the Debt Management Office (DMO) on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, confirmed.
The debt office is selling the retail debt instrument for this month in two tenors of two years and three years.
Offer for the savings bonds opened today and will close on Friday, April 10, 2026, a part of the disclosure stated.
The 2-year FGN savings bond due April 15, 2028, is being sold at a coupon rate of 13.082 per cent per annum, while the 3-year FGN savings bond due April 15, 2029, is being sold at a coupon rate of 14.082 per cent per annum.
The interests are paid every quarter, and the bullet repayment to subscribers on the maturity date.
The bonds are sold at N1,000 per unit, subject to a minimum subscription of N5,000 and in multiples of N1,000 thereafter, subject to a maximum subscription of N50 million.
Interested investors are required to reach out to the stockbroking firms appointed as distribution agents by the DMO via the agency’s website.
An FGN savings bond qualifies as securities in which trustees can invest under the Trustee Investment Act. It also qualifies as government securities within the meaning of the Company Income Tax Act (CITA) and the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) for tax exemption for pension funds, amongst other investors, meaning it is tax-free.
It can be used as a liquid asset for liquidity ratio calculation for banks, and is listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited to allow for easy exit (liquidation) before maturity by selling at the secondary market.
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